Rail-brace.



c. H. WILLIAMS.

RAIL BRACE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. 1917.

Patented Sept; 18, 1917,

S H E E T I 3 SHEETS C. H. WILLIAMS.

RAIL BRACE. APPLICATION men MAY 28, 1917.

Patented Sept. 18,1917.

3 $HEETS-SHE ET 2.

W- mum H. WILLIAMS. RAIL BRACE,

APPUCATION FILED MAY 28.1917. 1,240,276. PatentedSept. 18,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

CHARLES HAINES WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR '30 CHICAGO RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION.

RAIL-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t flt t 1 191 7,

Application filed May 28, 1917. Serial No. 171,353.

.being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this-specification.

Rail braces now commonly used by railway rails, and particularly such braces as have lower portions adapted to extend beneath the bases ofv the rails to be braced, while suitable for bracing the rails Where the track is straight or of very long radius, are not well adapted forbracing the rails of short radius tracks, because the thrust receiving portions of the braces being integral with their base portions, are not adjustable withrespect thereto, and if the base portions be turned or angled to bring the thrust receiving portions into proper engagement with the rails, the base portions must extendv diagonally with respect to the cross ties and beyond theirv edges.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rail brace that is adapted either for straight tracks or curved tracks of any desired radius, and this object is accomplished by the novel construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan. view showing my invention applied to a short section of two rails of a track. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one form of my improved rail brace. Fig. 3 is aview in vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2, the thrust receiving member of the brace being shown in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a planview of the lower member of the brace., Fig.5 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 but, showing a modified form of the invention. Fig. 6 is a view in cross section on line 6+6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5-' but showing a. modified form of the invention. Fig. 8 is a view in cross section on line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view similar to. Fig. 7 but illustrating a further modification of the invention. Fig. 10 is a view in cross section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a further modification. Fig. 12 is a view in side elevation of the form shown inwFig. 11. Fig. 13

is a plan view illustrating another modification of the invention. Fig. 14 is a View in cross section on line 14-14 of Fig. 13.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, designates the cross ties whereon the rails are supported, a main rail a and a guard rail (0 being illustrated. Along the rails or and a and at suitable distances apart my improved rail brace will be placed. Preferably, each of these braces comprises a lower supporting member 20 and an upper bracmg member 21. As shown,

the lower member 20 is in the form of a tie plate adapted to extend beneath the rails or and a (where two adjacent rails are used), this plate being furnished with suitably dis posed holes 23 to receive the spikes whereby the braces will be secured to the cross .tie.

In the form of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the lower member 20 is offset or raised as at 22 and the-member 20 is formed with an elongated opening 24 to receive the upper member 21. The upper member 21, which is preferably formed as a malleable casting (having a central web and lateral flanges, as shown), comprises a head portion 26 adapted to bear beneath one side of the rail, this upper member 21 having its inner wall shaped to conform to the vertical web of the rail and to the upper surface of the'base flange a of the rail. The base of the upper member 21 is formed with a circular portion 27 corresponding approximately in diameter to the expanded portion of the elongated opening 24 (see Figs. 2 and 4) in the lower member 20, and beneath this circular portion 27 is formed a flange or shoulder 28 (see dotted lines Fig. 2 andfull lines Fig. 3) that is of materially greater dimension than. the opening 24. The flange or shoulder 28 is formed with elongated slots or openings 29 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) through which will pass the spikes that enter the holes 23 ofthe lower membe and the cross tie beneath it. I I In assembling the upper and lower members of my. improved form of railbrace above described, the head portion 21 of the upper bracing member will be inserted through the opening 24 of the lower member 20 until the flange or shoulder 28 bears against the under surface of the lower member 20 and at such time the circular portion 27 of the member 21 will set within the expanded curved walls of the opening; 24, as

theside of'the rail and. when the rail brace is spiked to the tie, the upper member ofthe brace will occupy such position asto; most effectively resist the thrust upon the rail. By reference toFigs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the shoulder 27 above the circular portion 2701 the bracing member is of substantially the same width as the rear portion 2& of theopening 24 in themember hence, when the upper member is adjusted laterally in either direction, the shoulder 2'7 will overlap the upper surface ot the plate 20, thus insuring a better interlocking of the parts. Inasmuch as the upper bracing member can be adjusted laterally in either direction, it will be seen that the bra-ceis adapted for use on either right-hand or left-hand rails and at the exact angle corresponding to the rail curvature.

Inth'eembodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5- and (3 of the drawings, the upper bracing member21 is adjustably connected to the lower-supporting member 20 by means of a pivot bolt orpintle that passes through holes formed in the upper and lower members, a nut 31- serving to hold the upper'member in place upon the lower member. In; this form ofthe invention, the lower member 20 is shown as provided at one end with an upturned circular fiange 32 and the base ofthe upper member 21 is formed with an extension 33- the end of which is upon a curve corresponding to the flange 32' against which suclrend bears, the flange 32'being inward ly inclined to interlock with the correspondingly inclined end of the extension 33.

In the rail brace illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the upper member is shown as a hollow casting, formed at its base with laterally projecting flanges 35 having'holes 36 therethroughto receive the spikes that enter the cross-ties. The spike holes in themember 20 beneath these holes 36 willbe so located as to permit of the adjustment of the upper bracing member upon the lower supporting member. In. the form of the inventionlast described, the upper bracing member being pivotally' mounted? upon' the lower supporting member, said upper member may be turnedtoproperly position its bearing head against the side of the rail, after which the brace will be spiked to the cross-tie.

' In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown a slight modification of the rail brace last described. In these figures, 20 designates the lower supporting member and 21 the upper bracing member, the head portion of which bracing member will be substantially the same as'in the last described form of my invention.

Instead, however, of employing a threaded bolt to unite the upper and lower members, this is accomplished; by means of a rivet 3'0 that passes through holes formed in the lower and upper members 20 and 21. In this form of the invention, the lower member 20 is shown as provided with a curved, slot 38 into which fits a downwardly projecting tongue 39 formed. at the end of the base portion of the upper member 21.

In Figs. 9 and: 10 of the drawings, the lower member-20 and the upper member 21 are connected. by a rivet 30 and these mem bers are the same as in. the form last described except that. thee'xtensioni 33 at the base-ofthe upper member 211 is formed with one or more teeth 40! adapted toengage with notches 41 termed in the curved raised flange 432' at the end 013 the-lower member 20; With this formof: the invention, the upper memher will be adjusted? at the proper angle with respect to the-lower member and the engagement of the teeth 40 with the notchesli will insure the proper retentionot theparts in the adjusted position, after which; the rivet 30 'will: be h'eadedi up-..

In the form. of; the invention illustrated in Figs. 11. and 12, the construction of the lower member 20 isthe sameas shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings and inthisform. of the invention, the; upper: bracing member 21.

has an. extension 33 that engages theup.-' turned: flange 32 of. the 1nemberl20, the

curved. endof the extension 33' being in.- elined to; interlock with the inclined wall of the curved flange 32,. thesemembers being connected together by a pivot bolt 30 and nut 31. In this form. of the invention, however, the base of the upper member iszprovided with; an inwardly extending floor or -portion. 50 to support a guard mil; a ot'less wall adapted: to receive a circular, downwardly extending b'oss60 formed' on the base of the uppermember 212 This boss; 60 has its lower portion flaredoutward l y as at 61 to interlock with theflared wall of the open ing in the lower member 20.. Inthis form ot'the invention, also, the-base oitjthe' upper member is formed with afl'ooror extension 62 tosupporta guard rail a with one of its base flanges extending "over-the adjacent base flange ofthe main rail w. The end ot th'e lower member 20 is shown as provided with a raised flange 32 against which will bear the outer portion 21 of the upper member 21, this outer portion 21 of the upper member 21 being formed on a curve corresponding to that of the flange 32*. In this form of the invention, the lower member will be provided with holes to receive spikes for attachment of the brace to the cross ties in suitable manner. In this last described form of the invention, as in the several forms above described, the upper thrust receiving portion of the brace, being pivotally mounted upon the lower supporting member, can be adjusted to. adapt it for use upon rails of any desired curvature.

"What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member having a bearing head with a flattened portion to engage the rail and a lower member adapted to be set at an acute angle to the rail said upper bracing member being adapted to be turned to different horizontal positions with respect to said lower member.

2. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member adapted to engage the rail and a lower member adapted to extend at an acute angle beneath the base of the rail, said upper member being mounted to turn horizontally upon said lower member.

3. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member adapted to engage the rail and a lower member provided with an opening to admit said upper member and said upper member being provided with a part to extend through said opening and interlock with the under side of the raised end portion of the lower member at opposite sides of said opening.

4. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member adapted to engage the rail and a lower member, said lower member being provided with an opening to admit said upper member and said upper member being provided with a part to interlock with the under side of said lower member in a manner permitting the upper member to be turned to different horizontal positions with respect to the lower member.

' 5. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member-adapted to engage the rail and a lower member, said upper member being provided at its bottom with a circular portion passing through said lower member and with a part extending beneath said lower member to interlock therewith.

6. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member adapted to engage the rail and a lower member formed with an elongated opening to receive said upper member, said opening having curved, expanded walls and said upper member being formed at its bottom with a circular portion extending through said curved walls of the lower member and with a flange or offset to engage the under side of said lower member.

7. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member. adapted to engage the rail and a lower member provided with an opening wherein said upper member is pivotally held, said upper member being provided at its bottom with a flange having cutaway portions for the passage of spikes.

8. A rail brace comprising an upper bracing member adapted to engage the rail and a lower member adapted to extend beneath the base of the rail, said lower member being provided with an offset portion havin an opening to receive the upper member an said upper member being provided with a flange to interlock with said lower members.

CHARLES HAINES WILLIAMS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

